Korpiklaani have premiered a new video for their new song “Henkselipoika.” This track is from the band’s new album “Kulkija,” which will be released on September 7.

Founding member Jonne Järvelä commented:

“‘Henkselipoika’ pretty much wrote itself. The first thing to come to my head was the verse riff, on top of which the melody wrote itself. The song was a very easy piece to write and it was finished in one day. As far as I can remember this was the first finished song for the new album Kulkija.”

“I wrote this one to a finished text that I got from Tuomas Keskimäki back when I was making the latest JONNE album Kallohonka. That album had the song ‘Hulivili’, and this text is about the same young rascal who is still very much into partying and having fun but is at the same time already longing for a woman by his side.”

Keskimäki added:

“It is quite interesting that these songs got connected this way, even though they are on different albums and are even by different bands.”

Järvelä continued:

“The video was shot in Kuhmoinen around the Huhtala torp, which is also portrayed on the cover of the album Kulkija. It is is a bit exceptional with a slight home-made feeling to it. Many of the actors are actually family members of other contributors. These include Cane’s father with his wife, my daughter Tinja and her friend Sanni, the director’s both sons Konsta and Otto and so on.”

“The video also shows Finnish nature and the idyllic countryside at its best. This might also seem rather exotic for KORPIKLAANI fans from outside of the Nordic countries.”

Korpiklaani have premiered a new video for their new song “Harmaja.” This track is from the band’s new album “Kulkija,” which will be released on September 7.

Founding member Jonne Järvelä commented:

“‘Harmaja’ is an unusual KORPIKLAANI song with its slow tempo and emotional strength. The song is about longing and I managed to charge it with a great emotional atmosphere. When making the album we mostly used the first takes; we didn’t get stuck in details when there was no particular need to. It was important for us to keep the emotion and mood at the forefront even if the technical side wasn’t absolutely perfect at times.

I was surprised – although in a positive sense – that Nuclear Blast wanted to release ‘Harmaja’ as a single and a video. Usually they prefer more uptempo, fun drinking songs. The new album ‘Kulkija’ of course has that material too since being over an hour long it contains the entire scope of different emotions.

I bought a new classical guitar and started to reacquaint myself with the 5-finger picking technique. I created a finger exercise that then formed the basis of the song. The exercise started to sound more and more like an actual piece of music and suddenly a melody came out of that. I sent a very basic version of the song to our lyricist Tuomas Keskimäki who, in the same evening, sent back the lyrics for ‘Harmaja’. The text refers to ‘Sylvian Joululaulu’, a well known poem about longing by Zachris Topelius. I sang the demo in my home studio immediately and that was it – the song felt good and strong right away and I knew that it was going to end up on the album.

The video was shot in the pool of the Maritime Safety Training Centre in Lohja. The water was so cold that even constant visits to the sauna couldn’t stop the coldness from creeping into my bones. It was very difficult to remember the lyrics, keep my head above the surface of the water and sing – while at the same time trying to look like I wasn’t freezing to death. All for art!

We managed to create a nice contrast in the video with the angel. Director Ville Lipiäinen found her accidentally while grocery shopping. I don’t know if he stumbled on her wings or what, but the angel also flew to the same pool in Lohja. The story is about a man missing his dead wife who then returns from the afterlife for one last goodbye, so that the poor man can go on with his life. He manages to drag himself out of the stormy waters back to dry land. Lipiäinen knew exactly what was needed for the video and managed to create just the right atmosphere. The shots change slowly, there is no rush with anything and the story stays just right above the surface until the more stormy ending.”

Keskimäki added:

“An expensive repair was done for my long lost friend, a Collin-Mézin violin from 1896, giving it a new lease of life. It was used for the first time in ten years for this album and its sound exceeded all expectations. Harmaja is a good example of it. What you hear is basicly the best of two run through takes combined.”

The following was also shared about the track:

“The blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), the bird in the song, has been unable to migrate south because of a broken wing. The song depicts anxiety and the fading memory. A Finnish poet Zachris Topelius wrote in 1853 a poem titled ‘Sylvian joululaulu’ about homesickness which is referred to by ‘laulu kaipauksen’ (a song of yearning) in the song. The song can also mean the “greyness” when a partner of an old couple dies.”

Korpiklaani have premiered a lyric video for their new song “Kotikonnut.”This track is from the band’s new album “Kulkija,” which will be released on September 7. Accordionist Sami Perttula commented:

“It’s a midtempo song with a lot of melodies. It was surprising how our lyricist managed to write it, he really captured the feeling and the character of the song. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!”

The press release also offered the following about “Kotikonnut”:

During his journey, a wanderer yearningly looks back on his home, childhood and the beauty of everything. He remembers running with his girl on the meadow, believing it to last till the end of times. Although his home is now, the road and a carriage run by joy, he will still always remember the happiness of his home and youth. At the time, the moon was golden, shining everywhere at night, lighting up the otherwise-dark countryside and the forest. The wanderer eventually accepts that everything that comes, will one day fade into a distant memory.

Korpiklaani have announced that they will release their new album “Kulkija” on September 7, via Nuclear Blast. The cover art was designed by Jan Yrlund, and it can be seen below. Founding member Jonne Järvelä commented:

“We’ve never been as satisfied with a final result as we are with ‘Kulkija’. We tried to keep it very natural, and that’s what you’ll soon be able to hear clearly. Like the wanderer, this album is a journey, one that makes you feel good. Stay tuned!”

Accordionist Sami Perttula added:

“‘Kulkija’ isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s a “real” album with a unique atmosphere guiding the listeners through a long journey. All songs were well prepared in advance and nothing needed to be arranged in the studio. Tuomas [fiddle] & I had lots of space to develop and play the folk arrangements.”